General Aviation Review

Grumman American said little or nothing in defence, but let the aircraft prove itself in Australian operational con­ditions. They believed they had what they called The Simple Airplane – no doors to adjust, no oleos to leak, no all-over rivets to burble the airflow.

The fascinating thing about the Trainer and TR-2 was that they felt like aircraft, flew like mini-fighters without being “hot” in various departments, and were ultimately accepted as genuine fun machines whether used for private or training work.

They still feel the same way – but Grumman American have improved on the ’77 models, renaming them the Lynx and T-Cat, beefing up the horsepower to 115 using 100 octane – necessary in these days of dwindling supplies of 80-87 – refining the soundproofing and revamping the horizontal stabiliser in the interests of increased low-speed stability.

Cruise speed has gone up to 134 mph, rate of climb at sea level is now 750 fpm, and the whole aircraft range is finished with DuPont polyurethane giving a “wet” look and adding to corrosion-proofing externally.

For the purist who wants to explore the entire perfor­mance envelope of his aircraft, Grumann American are marketing an optional spin package for the AA-1C/T-Cat – basically a ventral fillet or strake under the tail.

It seems hardly necessary to label the Grumman American singles range Private Fighters – but it’s a good gimmick, even to the colour schemes available plus all publicity shots featuring pilots wearing bonedomes and flying overalls.

In fact, there is a safety-conscious angle there somewhere – the bonedomes could become standard wear for private pilots one day, and flame-resistant flying overalls can be very useful when a fuel line-rupturing prang occurs. The AA-1C/T-Cat grosses at 1600 lb, with an empty weight listed as 1002 lb. Fuel consumption has been tagged at 6. 5 gph, giving an endurance of about 3 hrs 20 min. Cruise speed at 4,500 ft is 112 kts.

Performance wise, the T-Cat performs like the little beau­ty it has always been. Sensitive without being alarming, tractable to the extent that it can be forgiving, and now distinctly quieter thanks to a restyled canopy seal and what Grumman American whimsically call Quiet Please insulation packaging.

The panel is almost identical with the original model – sensible and easy-to-scan. Cat), 700 fpm rate of ascent, top speed and cruise speed (75 per cent power) billed at 126 kts and 117 kts respectively – in­ cabin decibel muting, interior fabric and carpeting similar to the Cheetah, cruise-pitch prop of 56 in. pitch (the T-Cat ships a 52 in. pitch Sensenich metal prop), and boasts all the delightful feel in flight and ground handling which typifies the Grumman American range. The “feel” of an aircraft is one of the je-ne-sais-quois which pilots can understand, can sense, but are sometimes unable to explain in words.

It amounts to a feeling of “right” coming through the controls, the attuning of body to airframe and engine, the in­ born sensation that the machine and airflow are doing exactly what they should, at the right time andin correct proportions.

And the Grumman American light singles certainly have all these qualities, plus that sporty, infinitely play-withable and truly practical sliding canopy which must have been made for Australian summers.

In the four-place range, Grumman American are making bigger dents in the Big Three’s factory billings, thanks to im­ proved Tiger and Cheetah models.

With the Tiger grossing out at 2400 lbs plus a useful load of 1089 lbs, and the Cheetah now boasting a useful load of 897 lbs at a top speed of 136 kts, these two hummin’ Grum­ mans have a lot going for them.

The Cheetah the standard model is listed as the AA-SA Standard, and boasts a list of standard extras as long as a New Year Honors List.

Soundproofing has come in for a thorough revamp, and a double thickness Plexiglass windshield wedded to extra soundproofing has cut down noise inside the cabin to an ex­ tremely satisfactory degree.

The panel is just right – and that’s praise indeed from every pilot who has flown a Cheetah after having experience in other light singles.

The Tiger 148 kts at sea level, or 139 kts at 8 500 ft at 75 per cent power settings, compared with the lower-powered Cheetah’s cruise speed of 128 kts at a similar altitude and power settings.

The Tiger is for many singles pilots the ultimate in fun, comfort and absolute aeroplane for the price they can afford. It’s a great buy at any price . . .

Tiger and Cheetah both feature a 59 in. pitch McCauley prop, the Tiger being powered by a 180 bhp 0-360-A4K motor and the Cheetah by a Lycoming 150 bhp 0-320-E2G engine. But it all adds up to the same thing – design simplicity,

Aerostar

The Ted Smith Aerostar Corporation is going quietly, efficiently about its business in New South Wales in the per­ son of Akarana Air Ltd based at Bankstown.

Their Aerostar Model 600A is constantly on demonstra­ tion tours, showing the more traditional twin-buyers an all­ round mid-wing twin with many features dominant when it comes to adding up dollars and cents, and matching the result against operating costs and TBO.

Among the stronger points of a light twin able to with­ stand Australian operational conditions are:

• A 10 per cent saving in fuel economy when balanced against comprable light twins marketed by the Big Three.
• No less than 25 per cent saving in provision for engine maintenance, with a 2000 hour timespan between complete overhauls on the 600A.
• And a direct hourly operating cost of $36. 22 on the 600A.

Ted Smith’s claim that their later models – the 601P and 601B – can offer an 18 per cent saving on comparable twins, with a 1800 hr TBO.

The aircraft’s construction combines great strength with flush sur{aces. The underside, for example, is covered with a thicker-than-normal integral stressed skin using flush rivet­ ing.

Careful aerodynamicising using all the skills available to the airframe and engine designer have resulted in a light twin with significant toughness, operating taster on smaller engines.

Mainspring of the Ted Smith drive is the economy-model 600A – the makers label it as a machine meshing operational economy with high performance.

A walkround lends impact to this claim: no cowl flaps,flush-rivet constructio,1, clean lines without penalising con­ trol response or making it a “hot” ship in any configuration, and a general air of _get-up-and-go.

Fowler flaps permit,eminently comfortable low-speed handling and a stall speed as low as 77 mph in the dirty set-up. Two beautifully cowled Lycoming 10-540-normally aspirated motors drive 78 in. diameter Hartzell c. s. tull­ feathering propellers, the engines being each rated at 290 hp at 2575 rpm.

Handling in flight: the 1977 Aerostar 600A presents no directional stability problems, and sits in cruise like the thoroughbred it undoubtedly is.

Twin-engine climb is booked at 1800fpm at sea level, single-engine speed being 450 fpm. Ground roll, incidentally, is 1400 ft over a 50 ft obstacle.

Range at 10,000 ft is a solid 1520 statute miles at 55 per cent power, working out to an IAS of 225 mph. And all this for an aircraft grossing 5500 lbs! Standard fuel capacity is 66. 5 gallons housed in wet­ wings, plus a 44-gal. tuselage tank.

Visibility from the cockpit on board the 600A is nothing less than excellent, sitting out in front of a mid-wing con­ figuration with nothing around you but wrapround windows. Passengers enjoy similar visibility in terms of window foota_ge, sitting in a cabin 12. 5 ft long, 46 in. wide and with 4 ft height.

This six-place aircraft is easy to enter the leave, thanks to a monster clamshell door. Cabin quietness is assured because of the thick skin construction and scientific soundproofing. The 600A’s later brothers, the 601B turbocharged load carrier and 601P luxury pressured transport, are worthy successors in the Ted Smith Aerostar family.

The 6018 operates magnificently at 25,000 ft (service ceil­ ing 30,000 ft at max. gross) over distance spanning 1455 statute miles – 65 per cent cruise power at that height gives 270 mph.

The 601P, in operation, maxes at 290 mph; a more direct operation figure would be 270 mph at :L5,000 tt, on 65 per cent power over 1435 statute miles.

Page 50When last contacted. Akarana Air was listing the 600A at $US156,900, the 6018 at $US174,9UU ana the magniticcently outfitted 601P at $US220,900.

Specifications (600A): Gross weight 5500 lbs, equipped empty 3720 lbs, equipped useful load 1780 lbs.

Power loading 9. 5 lb/hp, wing loading 32. 4 lb/sq. ft.

Performance (600A): Speeds: max. 260 mph; 70% cruise, 250 mph; 65% 241 mph; 55% 225 mph; all at 10,000 {t. Stall, flaps and gear down, 77 mph.

Fuel economy: at 65% power, 7500 ft. 26. 2 gph; at 55% power, ·I0,000 tt, 22. 7 gph.

Beech Model 76

Hawker de Havilland in Australia expect the first Beech Model 76 to be available for sale in mid-1978, and assembly and finishing are now being geared-up at Beech’s new facility in Liberal, US.

These details have been revealed by H de H in Sydney through their GA division dealing with Beechcraft sales.

Meanwhile, the first production unit of the new four­ place T-tail twin is now well into its exhaustive test program following its first flight from Beech Field, Wichita, late this May.

Few concrete details are to hand, but behind the flowery Press statement dealing with the first flight are a few facts: The Model 76 is expected to get FAA certification this autumn, in America, almost coincident with first retail deliveries. The aircraft type is expected to fill a gap existing for a low-price twin-engine trainer. Grumman American’s Coug_ar is another contender for that slot.

The Moael 76 will be the only aircratt ot its type to have left and right doors for pilot andright-hand seat occupant. It will also have a left side door for the luggage compartment. The Model 76 is powered by two 180 hp Lycoming 0-360engines, and is designed to carry four people, up to 180 lb of luggage and optional gear at 160 knots (max. cruise speed) over a range of more than 700 nautical miles including 45 min. reserve.

Construction of the Model 76 – the first light twin to in­ corporate the T-tail design, according to H de H Beechcraft Sales executive Jake McShane at Bankstown – includes honeycomb-bonded wings for smoother aerofoil design, and new shock-absorbing systems for the gear incorporating oleo struts.

Grumman American Cougar

Grumman American, now in its new home at Savannah, Georgia, has a surprise packet for the Big Three in the Grum­ man American Cougar, a light twin destined to fill the gap between expensive singles in the retractable range and ex­ isting twin-engine offerings.

A lot of conjecture has been aired about the Cougar, tipped as filling the void partially blocked by the Twin Comanche and at a far cheaper asking price for the basic aeroplane – US reports tip the price tage at about $US69,900. Here are some details from Grumman American themselves, following deep-penetration testing of the Cougar’s flight envelope: First, pilot and executive reaction fror:ri Savannah. “It’s almost a shame there’s no existing competition in the market for the Cougar,” says GA’s senior VP for commercial light air­ craft marketing, Roy C. Garrison.

Garrison recently made his first evaluation flight in the production prototype Cougar. “The performance numbers we’re beginning to see now are so encouraging I wish there were some other model around that we could make com­ parisons against,” he adds.

Quote from GA president Corky Mever, himself a former test pilot: “We’ve really been holding our breath on these performance numbers. The engineering test Cougar wepreviously flew was of a significantly different configuration. “We were confident that this more refined production­ type design would give us the numbers we wanted – but un­ til we actually flew one, actual performance remained a source of speculation. .

“Now our first production model flight tests are begin­ ning to tell us that for several parameters we originally may have been a little conservative . . . ” Initial flight testing of the production prototype machine has emphasised systems checkouts, windshield and antenna tests, flutter checks and maximum velocity dive tests.

Structural ground testing has proved that in all cases air­ frame and components have either met or exceeded intend­ ed design strength.

First firm figures relea,ed by Grumman American for an­ nouncement at the Paris Air Show highlight the sound work done since the first GA-7 Cougar flew in December 1974 as an engineering design.

Gross weight: 3800 lbs Basic useful load: 1300 lbs Max. speed at sea level: 200 mph Cruise speed at 75% power: 190 mph Stall, clean: 75 moh Stall, landing configuration: 69 mph Min. controllable single-engine speed (Vmc): stall occurs before Vmc.

R of C at sea level (two engines): 1200·fpm Service ceiling: 17,500 ft Standard fuel capacity: 80 gals Max. fuel (optional): 120 gals Endurance: 6. 8 hrs Max. range (nil reserve): 1265 statute miles Engines: two 160 hp Lycoming 0-320-D1D. Propellers: two Hartzell twin-blade, 73 in. dia.

Australian Grumman American outlet Icarus Aviation Services Pty Ltd is waiting eagerly for the first Australia­ destined Cougar to land on the continent. The machine was Page 51Icarus’ secretary/director Garry Hunt says the Au_stralianCougar will beavailable fully IFR at many thousands ot dollars cheaper than any other twin currently available.

In fact the Cougar would sell at a cheaper price thanthe entire existing range of light singles market d by Grum­ man American, the Cougar has been evolved with a markedlack of complexity.

For example, the makers claim that a single-engin_e pilot can get into the Cougar with new comfort and confidence thanks to single-engine control right down to ! e stall. .

The overall design has been hacked by crJtIcs as being something of everything – Cessna 10, a bit of Beech and a piece of Piper. This is perhaps oo Journales; but u true_. A company like Grumman American Just doesn t do things like first reports on the Cougar suggeste It mIg t emerge as a twin-engine Grumman Tiger with tu kaway_ gea . What came off the design board was something quite different. Looking at the Cougar prod cti?n prot?type, the resemblance to anything like a twin Tiger Is strictly for the birds.

The fuselage is longer, tail assembly larger and the wing chord and span outreach the Tiger by a considerable margin. In fact the size of the Cougar is more in line with a Cessna 310 than a Tiger, riding high on a rugged-lookingtricycle un­ dercarriage.

The aircraft’s respectable tail surfaces suggest excellent controllability, with a high aspect ratio wing hinting at sati ty­ ing climb performance and cruise spE:ed. The_ Coug r Is a four-place aircraft – Grumman American des!gned It that way to obviate misuse or abuse by anyone stupid enough topossibly with pressurisation. Again, Grumman American as that experience and expertise to cater for forward-looking markets spanning the next decade.

A lot of thoughtful modifying has been done between prototype and production; one mod. has been the sub­ stituting of the Grumman American sliding canopy by a lefthand side door. Rain entry and a traditional resistance by a corporate-buyer market to fighter-type·canopies helped the decision.

Side view of the Cougar enhances the belief that signifi­ cant lift can be encouraged by an aerofoil-shaped upper and lower fuselage desi n. Single-engine performance and in­ flight lateral s ability are o viously hancE:d by the large dor­ sal fillet running from vertical stabiliser to Just aft of the com­ fortable cabin rear.

Grumman American claim the Cougar isas different from other light twins as night is from day.

One claim – mentioned briefly earlier in this article: in a Bonanza or Cessna 210 the pilot is used to control as long as the aircraft is above the stall speed. In other twins, he faces new critical control speeds above the stall with one engine out.

In the Cougar, he doesn’t.

Chop an engine in the Cougar and the pilot has control right down to the stall. Which is a veiled way of highlighting the Cougar’s value as a twin-training machine.

The Cougar also delivers speeds _which mi ht seem im­ possible using a brace of 160 hp engines, burning a quarter less fuel than the next biggest twin – about the same as the bigger single-engine models, say the Cougar’s makers.

It might be pertinent to end with a quote from “Savan­ nah, G. A. , Times”, featuring the Cougar and Grumman American’s singles range for ’77: Page 52″Compare the Cougar’s speed, hor epower_ and operating cost with any other win. And consider maximum range of over 1000 miles.

“And then compare the price. For the Grumman American Cougar gives you the speed, r liability andcomfort of a twin at a price some people are paying today for a luxury single.

“And if hat sounds to good to be true, remember that so did our Tiger. And so did our Cheetah. “At first . . . ” We’re waiting to do just that.

Cessna Titan

Cessna hasentered the big-twin journey with the latest of its 400 Series models, the Titan.

Interest is already quickening as Rex Aviation’s demonstration model tours the nation, and firm orders are imminent from Australia’s North-West where the applications of either 1. 5 tonnes of cargo or 11 bodies being lifted at one time have immediate operational meaning.

Cessna are marketing the basic Titan in. tw<? cc:>n· figurations – the Courier or Ambassad?r, – h1ghl1ght1ng economy and all-field performance allied to sp_ee and reliability with a dash of engine compartment mod1f1cat1on as an added spice.

A Mark II is available with added avionics making thecustomer needs the maker’s market survey showing a decid­ ed trend in a q ick-change configuration tw!n ab!e to exer­ cise the agility needed in m?st parts of he twm- smg world. The result is a rugged aircraft boas mg a cabin volum_e of 316 cubic feet (35 per cent more than its nearest competitor, says Cessna and Rex) plus a hefty useful load pegged at more than 3,500 lbs.

Range is more than significant: the Titan can_ trav l_over 1 598 statute miles with full reserves, thanks to its ability to store at least 2 000 lbs of fuel in the wet wing. Cruise speed is book-listed at’ 213 kts-plus. All this works out to six tonne statute miles per gallon and the ability to perform more workis almost 19 ft long – 14 ft behind the crew compartment. Its QC attraction is high_lighted b:,: the fact tha_t in t sts it was possible to remove eight seats m less tha five minutes.

Thanks to a 4 ft 1 in cargo door, the Titan can swallow D size shipping containers, oversize m il bund_les and just about all shapes and sizes of cargo, the weight being assessed at up to 2,500 lbs.

The Courier has four basic cabin configurations – stan­ dard all-passenger seating (and seat pitch can be varied from 28 in to more than 35 in depending on demand), cargo­ passenger mix, straight cargo, or nine-passenger seating. .

A walk-round on the Titan displays many new features m the Series. One of the items is the heavy-duty knee-action un­ dercarriage seemingly de. signed speci_fica_lly for Australian conditions. The now-classic Cessna twm Imes are apparent, from the long snout to magn_ificent t i_l assembly: In between are things like the large vertical stabiliser – designed to en­ courage pinpoint directional contr?I, low _rudder p dal forces and minimum yaw when assvmetrics are m operation – and marked dihedral on the horizontal stabiliser for outstanding lateral stability and responsive elevator control. .

Things like long, wide windows, nose and mg lockers which account for up to 1000 lbs of 01:1t-of-ca in ba gage, that massive trailing link main underca_mage which obv1o sly mean softer landings wedded to quite superb rough-field

capabilities (the undercart tucks up in five seconds), and a Fowler flap array which enhances the Titan’s field perfor­ mance and brings the stall speed of this hefty workhorse down to 70 kts, power off.

More information about that trailing-link gear includes the fact that it is an oilover-air system, with a12. 5 ft wheelbase and 14 ft tread giving quite magnificent ground handling qualities and an ability to absorb most country arrivals and departures with aplomb.

The wing is typical Cessna 400 Series, – a fail-safe mul­ tispar I·ob boasting bonded panel construction and holding 340 ga Ions in each wing outboard of the engine. Wing area is 242 sq. ft, with a maker’s wing loading of 35 lb/sq. ft.

Engines are turbocharged fuel-injected Continental six­ cylinder GTS10-520-M 375 hp motors driving constant speed full-feathering 90 in. diameter props, all designed to deliver maximum performance with low rpms.

Cessna make play with their claim that the engine arrangement has been compartmentalised – a fearsome word meaning basically that the Continentals are easy to ser­ vice. Design and layout of the turbocharger and accessory compartments have eliminated left-engine-only and right­ engine-only equipment.

Inside the Titan it is obvious that the Titan embodies all that is best in pilot workload elimination, right down to in­ flatable lumbar-region panels on the two front seats.

The panel is workmanlike, easy to scan; the basic layout is, from left to right: switches and circuitbreakers on the pilot’s left side; navaids and flight instruments grouped round the control wheel; engine instruments lined across centre top with radio and navcom lower centre. The power, pitch and mixture console also houses trims below the levers, and an auto-pilot lower centre.

Flap control is cunningly located round the corner from the pilot’s view, to the right of the main console.

In actual performance, the Titan’s office is very much a professional pilot’s kingdom, – strong and tractable in feel, in all flight regimes, with infinite flexibility. The Titan and Ambassador come in Mk II models, the latter embodying numerous crew and passenger comfort re­ quirements plus IFR avionics. Specification and performance figures given below apply to the basic Titan:

Specifications:

Max. weights: take-off, 8400 lbs; landing, 8100 lbs. Stan­ dard empty weight: 4823 lbs. Useful load: 3577 lbs. Wing loading: 34. 71 lbs/sq. ft. Power loading: 11. 20 lbs/hp. Total fuel: 348 gal. Wingspan: 46. 33 ft. Wing area: 242 sq. ft.

Performance:

Max. Speed: best power mixture, 229 kts at 16,000 ft.

Max. recommended cruise: 77. 5% power, 196 kts at 10,000 ft; 213 kts at 20,000 ft. Cruise range: 77. 5% power, recommended lean mixture with fuel allowances for manoeuvring and 45 minutes reserve at 45% power, from 607 naut. miles with 1000 lbs, 195 kts; to 1499 naut. miles with 2040 lbs at 20,000 ft at 216 kts.

Max range at 10. 000 ft with 1000 lbs at 145 kts, 742 naut. miles to 1809 naut, miles at 20,000 ft with 2040 lbs at 164 kts.

Sea level rate of climb, twin engine, 1575 fpm, one engine 230 fpm. Service ceiling, two engines, 26,000 ft, one engine, 10,100 ft.

Ground roll, 1788 ft, Total over 50 ft obstacle 2367 ft. Landing roll, 1100 ft, total over 50 ft obstacle, 2130 ft. Stall (IAS) flaps up, power off, 83 kts, flaps down power off, 70 kts.

The Titan Courier, Courier II, Ambassador and Am­ bassador II are marketed by Rex Aviation, Bankstown.

Cessna Hawk Xp

Cessna has made a strong bid to capture the under-182 market with their new 172 XP, the same trusted 172 airframe urged by a 195 hp engine turning aconstant-speed McCauley propeller – and at last boasting rudder trim to help absorb the extra horses.

The new Hawk XP – and its deluxe brother the Hawk XP II – are decibels quieter than earlier 172s, despite the biggerengine, thanks to strategically placed soundproofing above, below and round the typically roomy cabin and also through the use of a heavy duty windshield.

Fitting a CS prop is just about the limit to what can be done with the ubiquitous 172 series. The Cardinal range has already taken care of retractable gear, so any new 172 model will in future have to limit itself to quieter environmental sur­ roundings and perhaps increased tankage.

Main features of the new Hawk XP include that slower­ turning McCauley prop giving lower rpm but sustaining op­ timum performance, with a long-nose spinner to boot.

A Teledyne-Continental 10-360-K fuel-injuction engine giving 195 bhp at 2600 rpm is claimed to have a life of 2000 hours between overhauls, using 100-130 octane.

Cessna have kept their enviably flexible camberlift wing, which features that contoured leading edge for good feel and approach handling, plus low-speed work getting in and out of unexpected alighting places.

That wing has been so successful that many pilots, when asked to deliver bodies or freight to a place where surroun­ dings and strip lengths are anything but specific, always opt for a 172 where possible. The wing and its surrounding aeroplane are that trustworthy and dependable for getting in and out of anything which promises to be marginal . . .

The soundproofing is one of the XP’s big selling points. Cessnas are often noisy as they gain in age, but it’ a safe bet that an ageing XP in future years will still be quiet within. Wichita has engineered a ¼ in. thick windshield, 3/16 in. cabin door windows and chunks of lead vinyl soundproofing at key locations round the occupancy area.

Cessna has done a little unobtrusive recontouring to the standard Cessna seats, giving them more lumbar support in the XP model and thus making Cessna-sitting more accep­ table on longer hauls – which is what the XP is designed to accommodate in terms of range.

The rest of the aircraft is still good old 172.

The panel is the same simple direct readout – flight in­ struments top left, engine instruments bottom row and upleft, navaids grouped right on the pilot’s panel. Radios and navcoms centre.

Circuitbreakers and switches line the below-panel strip. A pre-select flap indicator is standard, and the at-last rudder trim sits above the fuel selector indicator at the console’s bot­ tom.

Prop pitch is housed between throttle and mixture con­ trol, with a vernier control titted.

Cowl flap control is housed on the console upright’s star­ board side.

The XP shows itself best in long-striding cruise configura­ tion. Maximum rijnge at 10,000 ft with 49 gallons of usable fuel is booked as 595 nautical miles, with an endurance of 5. 6 hours.

Performance figures include:

Maximum speed at sea level, 134 kts; 80 per cent power at 5500 ft, 131 kts. Cruise, recommended lean mixture with fuel allowance for manoeuvring and 45 mins reserve -80 oer cent power at 5500 tt with 49 gals usable, 485 naut. miles, time 3. 7 hrs.

Rate of climb at sea level, 870 fom. Service ceilin& 17,000 ft. Take-off, ground roll 850 ft, total dist. over 50 ft obstacle 1360 ft. Landing performance, ground roll 620 ft, total dist over 50 ft obstacle, 1270 ft.

Stall speed (CAS), flaps up, power off, 53 kts. Flaps down, nil power, 46 kts.

Max. weight 2550 lb. tandard empty weight 1549 lb Max. useful load, 1001 lb.

Power loading, 13. 1 lb/hp. Wing loading 14. 7 lb/sq. ft.

Total fuel capacity 52 gals. Wingspan, 35 ft 10 in.

Testing the Hawk XP proved the one thing many aircraft makers envy – there’s really nothing to touch a Cessna for dependability when it comes to ticklish low-speed work, or steady, unspectacular hiking across country.

Rex Aviation at Bankstown market the new Hawk XP, and report lively interest in the product. capabilities (the undercart tucks up in five seconds), and a Fowler flap array which enhances the Titan’s field perfor­ mance and brings the stall speed of this hefty workhorse down to 70 kts, power off.

More information about that trailing-link gear includes the fact that it is an oilover-air system, with a12. 5 ft wheelbase and 14 ft tread giving quite magnificent ground handling qualities and an ability to absorb most country arrivals and departures with aplomb.

The wing is typical Cessna 400 Series, – a fail-safe mul­ tispar /”ob boasting bonded panel construction and holding 340 ga Ions in each wing outboard of the engine. Wing area is 242 sq. ft, with a maker’s wing loading of 35 lb/sq. ft.

Engines are turbocharged fuel-injected Continental six­ cylinder GTS10-520-M 375 hp motors driving constant speed full-feathering 90 in. diameter props, all designed to deliver maximum performance with low rpms.

Cessna make play with their claim that the engine arrangement has been compartmentalised – a fearsome word meaning basically that the Continentals are easy to ser­ vice. Design and layout of the turbocharger and accessory compartments have eliminated left-engine-only and right­ engine-only equipment.

Inside the Titan it is obvious that the Titan embodies all that is best in pilot workload elimination, right down to in­ flatable lumbar-region panels on the two front seats.

The panel is workmanlike, easy to scan; the basic layout is, from left to right: switches and circuitbreakers on the pilot’s left side; navaids and flight instruments grouped round the control wheel; engine instruments lined across centre top with radio and navcom lower centre. The power, pitch and mixture console also houses trims below the levers, and an auto-pilot lower centre.

Flap control is cunningly located round the corner from the pilot’s view, to the right of the main console.

In actual performance, the Titan’s office is very much a professional pilot’s kingdom, – strong and tractable in feel, in all flight regimes, with infinite flexibility. The Titan and Ambassador come in Mk II models, the latter embodying numerous crew and passenger comfort re­ quirements plus IFR avionics. Specification and performance figures given below apply to the basic Titan: Specifications: Max. weights: take-off, 8400 lbs; landing, 8100 lbs. Stan­ dard empty weight: 4823 lbs. Useful load: 3577 lbs. Wing loading: 34. 71 lbs/sq. ft. Power loading: 11. 20 lbs/hp. Total fuel: 348 gal. Wingspan: 46. 33 ft. Wing area: 242 sq. ft.

Performance: Max. Speed: best power mixture, 229 kts at 16,000 ft.

Max. recommended cruise: 77. 5% power, 196 kts at 10,000 ft; 213 kts at 20,000 ft. Cruise range: 77. 5% power, recommended lean mixture with fuel allowances for manoeuvring and 45 minutes reserve at 45% power, from 607 naut. miles with 1000 lbs, 195 kts; to 1499 naut. miles with 2040 lbs at 20,000 ft at 216 kts.

Max range at 10. 000 ft with 1000 lbs at 145 kts, 742 naut. miles to 1809 naut, miles at 20,000 ft with 2040 lbs at 164 kts.

Sea level rate of climb, twin engine, 1575 fpm, one engine 230 fpm. Service ceiling, two engines, 26,000 ft, one engine, 10,100 ft.

Ground roll, 1788 ft, Total over 50 ft obstacle 2367 ft. Landing roll, 1100 ft, total over 50 ft obstacle, 2130 ft. Stall (IAS) flaps up, power off,83 kts, flaps down power off, 70 kts.

The Titan Courier, Courier II, Ambassador and Am­ bassador II are marketed by Rex Aviation, Bankstown.

Cessna Hawk Xp

Cessna has made a strong bid to capture the under-182 market with their new 172 XP, the same trusted 172 airframe urged by a 195 hp engine turning a constant-speedMcCauley propeller – and at last boasting rudder trim to help absorb the extra horses.

The new Hawk XP – and its deluxe brother the Hawk XP II – are decibels quieter than earlier 172s, despite the biggerengine, thanks to strategically placed soundproofing above, below and round the typically roomy cabin and also through the use of a heavy duty windshield.

Fitting a CS prop is just about the limit to what can be done with the ubiquitous 172 series. The Cardinal range has already taken care of retractable gear, so any new 172 model will in future have to limit itself to quieter environmental sur­ roundings and perhaps increased tankage.

Main features of the new Hawk XP include that slower­ turning McCauley prop giving lower rpm but sustaining op­ timum performance, with a long-nose spinner to boot.

A Teledyne-Continental 10-360-K fuel-injuction engine giving 195 bhp at 2600 rpm is claimed to have a life of 2000 hours between overhauls, usin 100-130 octane.

Cessna have kept their enviably flexible camberlift wing, which features that contoured leading edge for good feel and approach handling, plus low-speed work getting in andout of unexpected alighting places.

That wing has been so successful that many pilots, when asked to deliver bodies or freight to a place where surroun­ dings and strip lengths are anything but specific, always opt for a 172 where possible. The wing and its surrounding aeroplane are that trustworthy and dependable for getting in and out of anything which promises to be marginal . . .

The soundproofing is one of the XP’s big selling points. Cessnas are often noisy as they gain in age, but it’ a safe bet that an ageing XP in future years will still be quiet within. Wichita has engineered a ¼ in. thick windshield, 3/16 in. cabin door windows and chunks of lead vinyl soundproofing at key locations round the occupancy area.

Cessna has done a little unobtrusive recontouring to the standard Cessna seats, giving them more lumbar support in the XP model and thus making Cessna-sitting more accep­ table on longer hauls – which is what the XP is designed to accommodate in terms of range.

The rest of the aircraft is still good old 172.

The panel is the same simple direct readout – flight in­ struments top left, engine instruments bottom row and upleft, navaids grouped right on the pilot’s panel. Radios and navcoms centre.

Circuitbreakers and switches line the below-panel strip. A pre-select flap indicator is standard, and the at-last rudder trim sits above the fuel selector indicator at the console’s bot­ tom.

Prop pitch is housed between throttle and mixture con­ trol, with a vernier control titted.

Cowl flap control is housed on the console upright’s star­ board side.

The XP shows itself best in long-striding cruise configura­ tion. Maximum rijnge at 10,000 ft with 49 gallons of usable fuel is booked as 595 nautical miles, with an endurance of 5. 6 hours. Performance figures include: Maximum speed at sea /eve/, 134 kts; 80 per cent power at 5500 ft, 131 kts. Cruise, recommended lean mixture with fuel allowance for manoeuvring and 45 rnins reserve -80 oer cent power at 5500 tt with 49 gals usable, 485 naut. miles, time 3. 7 hrs.

Rate of climb at sea /eve/, 870 fom. Service ceilin 17,000 ft. Take-off, ground roll 850 ft, total dist. over 50 ft obstacle 1360 ft. Landing performance, ground roll 620 ft, total dist over 50 ft obstacle, 1270 ft.

Stall speed (CAS), flaps up, power off, 53 kts. Flaps down, nil power, 46 kts.

Max. weight 2550 lb. Standard empty weight 1549 lb Max. useful load, 1001 lb.

Power loading, 13. 1 lb/hp. Wing loading 14. 7 lb/sq. ft.

Total fuel capacity 52 gals. Wingspan, 35 ft 10 in.

Testing the Hawk XP proved the one thing many aircraft makers envy – there’s really nothing to touch a Cessna for dependability when it comes to ticklish low-speed work, or steady, unspectacular hiking across country.

Rex Aviation at Bankstown market the new Hawk XP, and report lively interest in the product. In less than two years, 24 Partenavia P68B’s have been sold in Australia: The PARTENAVIA P688 is a six seat, twin engined, high wing machine with a quiet, spacious cabin and room for 400lbs of passenger baggage. At 65 per cent power setting, it has a range of 902 nautical miles – no reserves – considerably more with long range tanks – and a cruise speed of 160 knots (TAS). Its two 200hp engines deliver optimum cruise perfor­ mance at 65 per cent power, with a fuel consumption of 15. 2 gallons per hour.

It is a safe aeroplane, with a low Vmc of 60kts and a take off safety speed of 79kts. Final approach speed is 80kts. Its single engine performance also contributes to the aircraft’s safety in that under /SA conditions at AUW sea level a 310 f PM climb rate is achieved. Another feature that makes the P688 a versatile aeroplane is its ability to handle relatively short strips with ease and safety. Though not actually presented as a STOL aircraft, it is capable of operating well within the D. O. T. ·p• chart figures which require 2250 feet at sea level, nil wind at AUW.

The efficiency is not achieved by over-sophistication which would make it a complicated, expensive aircraft. It has a simple robust structure with fixed undercarriage, and might well have been designed for Australian conditions. Docile handling qualities make it particularly easy to fly.

Its high wing design gives it an excellent propel/or ground clearance of 80cm (31½ “), which helps on rough gravel strips (gravel rash problems are reduced) and provides exceptional visibility from all six seats.

Baggage compartment is one big 20 cu. ft. space, with access through a 7 sq. ft. door (not several pokey little spaces throughout the aircraft) and this compartment is accessible in flight. Seats are easily removable to increase baggage capaci­ ty.

The 100th Partenavia was displayed at the Paris Air Show, and has come to Australia. A further 20 P68B’s are on order for the coming year.

Forrestair is the aviation division of H. C. Sleigh Ltd,and has the financial and technical resources to efficiently handle all aspects of aircraft sales and service. They also distribute the Pilatus aircraft as used by the Army, the Mitsubishi turbo prop, and Enstrom helicopters.

Piper Arrow

One of the biggest barriers to owner-businessmen whose budgets stretch to a sophisticated single-engine light aircraft but no further, has been the significant distances between many capital cities in Australia.

Distance means time out to refuel, time on the ground and less hours during which to contract business at Point B. Then of course there is the same distance and time-lag on the ground while getting back to Point A.

Add to that the fact that many singles trudge along at an average 130 knots at cruise power and you get the nub of buyer resistance to purchasing a single-engine aircraft.

Buy a twin? The barrier to that is that the owner­ businessman often cannot spare the time to convert to a twin, however respectably priced it may be.

All this computes to the inescapable fact that the Piper Aircraft Corporation has the possible answer in their new Tur­ bo Arrow Ill, a model of which is now operating from the Bankstown headquarters of Ansett General Aviation.

Piper designers and expel’ts have broken the hitherto unattained problem of getting one mile an hour from one horsepower, with the development of the Turbo Arrow 111. The figures are 205 mph using a six-cylinder 200 hp turbo­ charged Continental motor, running at 2575 rpm.

Piper and AGA name a number of new features adding up to the Turbo Arrow Ill’s great pertormance: new streamlined cowling, the at-last long-span semi-tapered wing giving improved performance and satisfyingly responsive handling, flexibility in operating altitude thanks to turbo-charging which means taking advantage ot met. conditions over a greater spectrum, and an increase in range up to 23 per cent.

Plus, of course, the claim that the Turbo Arrow Ill has the greatest useful load (1267 lbs) in its class.

In cruise, the Turbo Arrow Ill hikes along at 75 per cent power settings with 198 mph on the clock, taking aircraft and occupants nearly 1000 statute miles.

A word about the Turbo Arrow Ill’s turbocharger system. Piper through AGA in Australia explain it as being a classic in mechanical simplicity and operation.

Designed for ease of operation up to 20,000 ft – and ox­ ygen outlets are optional extras in the buy in case you want to operate at that magic Flight Level Two Zero Zero – there are ,10 separate turbocharger controls, manual or automatic. The throttle does it all, say AGA.

In cruise, for example, the pilot sets prop control at 2400 rpm if 75 per cent power is desired; the throttle notches on to 34 in. manifold pressure regardless of altitude. When convenient, a small manifold pressure correction can be made for colder or warmer than standard temperature at that specific height.

And so, to climb at 75 per cent power merely keep ad­ vancing the throttle as necessary to maintain that 34 in.

With the Turbo Arrow Ill, youstill extract a full sea-level 200 hp at 12,000 ft. It gets there by holding its sea-level rate of climb all the way. Even at 18,000 ft the pilot can still bank on having 75 per cent of his engine’s installed power available, with 198 mph as a satisfying result.

In flight and all operating configurations, the Turbo Arrow Ill has that same no-nonsense and infinitely honest airabout its handling. Book figure tell most of story:

990 statute miles.

PiperAire air conditioning is an o_ptional extra in both the new Turbo Arrow 111 and the normally aspirated Arrow 111.

The usual exclusive Piper undercarriage system prevails – ele·ctro-hydraulic with an integrated automatic safety ex­ tension feature. Free fall is the secondary extension backup and there is a landing gear manual override and extension lock-out capability built into the system.

When flight-testing the Turbo Arrow Ill and the normally aspirated Arrow Ill, give the aircraft a chance to prove the claim that it stays responsive up to and into thestall. This test will give any pilot confidence in handling this long­ legged beastie which faithfully does everything you com­ mand it to do, without vices or tricks.

The Turbo Arrow Ill and Arrow Ill are marketed by Ansett General Avianon, hangared at Bankstown Airport.

Wingspan: 35 ft
Cross weight: 2900 lbs
Wing area: 170 sq ft
Stall speed, full flap: 58 kts
Landing roll: 645 ft
Best rate of climb speed: 96 kts
Best rate of climb: 940 fpm
Useable fuel: 60 gals Imp.
Alt. cruise range with 45 min reserve;
75% power – 885 statute miles
65% power – 960 statute miles
55% power – 990 statute miles.

Beech Super King

The Beech Aircraft Corporation is making proud, loud noisesabout its new Jetprop Beechcraft Super King Air – and rightly so, as it represents just about the ultimate in the cor­ porate twin range measuring up to the 12,500 lb light aircraft classification limit.

Beech at Wichita, for long regarded by a significant sec-200 which allies operational efficiency and economical utilisa­ tion with a sound investment saving time and money for the busy corporate executive.

And travel is fast, smooth and quiet in the new T-tail Super King Air; so quiet you can talk to the pilot from the rearmost seat without shouting. The aircraft has been cer­ tified to carry up to 15 bodies, and is available in numerousexecutive or passenger transport configurations.

The Super King Air is a totally new aircraft, a blend of speed, range and payload. High-speed cruise figure is 333 mph, and range can be stretched to 2,172 statute miles in­ cluding 45 min. reserve, making it a serious contender for first place in Australian operations.

With full fueL a standard-eauiped Suoer King Air can hoist a 1617 lbs payload – equal to eight people plus 257 lbs of baggage. And all with a max. take-off and landing weight inside the 12,500 lbs limit.

Beech claim their new machine can operate from dirt strips, short airfields near developing suburban centres and other places which reek of typical Australian commercial and mining operations. A typical figure quoted is 2,579 ft take-off over a 50 ft obstacle at full gross.

Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 reverse flow free turbine engines, each rated at 850shp, can develop full rated power at sea level when the temperature is nudging 106 Fahr – another superb Australian selling point. Under normal con­ ditions, the engines can deliver the full works up to 6,500 ft. This adds up to a 2,450 fpm climb at sea level, at full gross. Single-engine climb performance is listed at 740 fpm.

Cabin pressurisation can maintain sea level atmospheric pressure at more than 13,000 ft, and at a Flight Level 310 cruise altitude the interior pressure is equal to 9,840 ft, well within the average passenger’s tolerance. In brief, the cabin is pressurised to a 6 psi differential.

Inside the cabin, a 34,000BTU air-conditioningsystem can cool the 393 cu. ft cabin to any desired temperature.

Still dealing with the interior: in the Super King Air thereis absolute privacy in the John – in fact there are three solid sliding doors separating compartments.

Pressurisation: 6. 0 differential
Actual aircraft altitude
13,820 ft
20,000 ft
25,000 ft
27,360 ft
31,000 ft
cabin altitude sea level
3. 830 ft
6,740 ft
8,000 ft
9. 840 ft

What about the sharp end? Pilots flying Beechcraft have for long been at home in a workmanlike, uncluttered front office. This has been sustained in the Super King Air 200. In the words of one veteran corporate pilot, the panel is simplified, lacking in superfluous embroidery, and efficient. The panel has engine instruments grouped on the left side of the centre panel, arranged vertically; they include torque indicators interstage turbine temp. indicators, gas generator percentage rpm, prop rpm, fuel flow and oil temp. /pressure gauges.

Flight instruments are largely duplicated, with a brace of annunciator and warning panels group centre top and bot­ tom. The panel layout is flexible enough to allow for a host of optional extras.

Beech has deliberately grouped engine instruments ver­ tically to allow for fast, easy scan. Radio, trim, flaps, under­ carriage selector and auto-pilot controls fall easy to hand of either pilot.

Corporate pilots who have handled the Super King Air report excellent controllability in all planes, tanks to extend­ ed wingtips and longer ailerons. The new T-tail permits a broader centre of gravity range, provides for reduced control forces and cuts down trim adjustments in changing flight con­ figurations, they add.

Technical points about the Super King Air include:

An increase of 8 ft 6 in wingspan over the King Air A100.

Wingspan is now 54 ft 6 in.

•Wind tunnel and subsequent flight testing of the T-tail design, confirms that the T-tail and straight wing combination produces excellent control characteristicsin all flight regimes.

•Super King Air’s undercarriage retraction time is four seconds, electrically operated.

•Flight control systems: conventional dual controls use direct linkage through pushrods, bellcranks and pulleys.

Specifications: Weights: max. ramp, 12,590 lb; max. takeoff, 12,500 lb;max. landing, 12,500 lb; max. zero fuel, 10,400 lb; basic emp­ ty, 7,334 lb; useful load (standard aircraft), 5,256 lb.

Wing areas, loadings: wing area, 303 sq. ft; wing loading, 41. 3 lb sq. ft; power loading, 7. 4 lb/shp.

Dimensions: wingspan, 54 ft 6 in; horizontal stabiliser span, 18 ft 5 in. ; length, 43 ft 9 in. ; cockpit height, 57 in. , width 52 in. ; cockpit door width, 20 in; cabin width, 54 in; cabin length excluding pilot’s compartment, 200 in. ; cabin height, 57 in. ft

Performance:

Max. speed, 289 kts, cruise (TAS), average cruise weight; Max cruise power @ 18,000 ft, 285 kts; 25,000 ft, 278 kts; 31,000 ft, 263 kts. Recommended cruise power (1700 rpm), at 18,000 ft, 280 kts; 25,000 ft, 272 kts; 31,000 ft, 257 kts.

Cruise range for 544 galls, usable at 6. 7 lb/gall. , includes allowances for manoeuvre and 45 min. reserve; max. cruise power at 18,000 ft, 1,190 nm; 25,000 ft, 1,485 nm; 31,000 ft, 1,757 nm. Max range power at 18,000 ft, 1,487 nm; 25,000 ft, 1737 nm; 31,000 ft, 1,887 nm.

RoC, two engines: at 12,500 lb, 2,450 fpm; 11,000 lb, 2,868 fpm.

RoC, one engine: at 12,500 lb, 740 fpm; 11,000 lb, 938 fpm, at sea level.

Service ceiling: two engines, at 100 fpm, above 31,000 ft, all weights. Stall speeds: power idle at 12,500 lbs, IAS; flaps 100%, 75 kts, 40% (takeoff and approach), 85 kts, flaps uo, 99 kts.

Takeoff distance: flaps up, approved FAA procedure at 12,500 lbs; liftoff speed (IAS), 101 kts; ground roll, 1,942 ft total over SO ft obstacle, 3,345 ft.

Takeoff distance: flaps 40 per cent; liftoff speed (IAS), 99 kts; ground roll 1,856 ft; total over SO ft, 2,579 ft.

Landing distance: without reversing; approach (IAS), 103 kts; ground roll, 1,760 ft; total over SO ft, 2,845 ft.

Landing distance: with prop reversing; approach, 103 kts; ground roll, 1,120 ft; total over SO ft, 2,074 ft.

A_ccelerate-Stop distance: flaps up (including allowance for failure-reaction); engine failure speed (IAS); 95 kts. Total distance, 3,364 ft.

Accelerate-Stop distance: flaps 40%; engine failure speed 94 kts, total distance, 3,411 ft.

Cessna Citation

Cessna’snew range of twin-jet Citationshasbeen topped with the proposed Citation Ill, designed with a NASA super­ critical wing and with a cruise height of something like 45,000 ft and intercontinental range of 3450 miles.

Describing the Citation Ill, Cessna chairman Russ Meyer says the new model’s first flight should be around autumn next year. The aircraft, an advanced fan jet, already has design cruise speed of 540 mph and a time-to-climb figure of 18 minutes to 41,000 ft.

Standard range for a basic Citation Ill should be at least 2760 miles, enough to take it nonstop clear across the con­ tinental US, he adds. The Citation Ill’s slot will be to fill the need for a highspeed, long-range jet, selling at what he calls a sensible price and offering the comfort and roominess of much more expensive jets.

The Ill will feature an exceptionally short balanced field length of a designed 3,990 ft at maximum take-off weight, opening hundreds of new alternative airfields to jet-users in the corporate field.

Power will come from a brace of Garrett Air Research 731supercritical wing should stretch fuel as never before in a twin-jet corporate machine. It should also be a very quiet machine, as evinced in the earlier Citations operating in Australia. Meyer says the Citation Ill will be able to take 13 people on board.

Deposits for delivery positions of the Citation 111 were already being accepted when Meyer was contacted.

Meanwhile, Rex Aviation in Australia has announced that the new Citation I bizjet has already got FAA certification for single-pilot operation. The Citation I now has /SP after the numeral – SP for Single Pilot.

The Citation I already certified by the FAA last December will still however need two pilots to operate legally.

The new Citation I now on sale includes more than 100 design improvements over the original model including up­ graded engines and an extended wing. The increased wing allows better take-off performance, longer range, a higher cruise figure and a quicker climb-to-max. cruise altitude.

Designed as a seven-eight seat corporate twin-jet, the Citation I has the claimed lowest purchase price of any jet and is more in line with turboprop or light twin asking prices. Higher resale value and better performance characteristics are two items claimed to lower the net cost of Citation I ownership to generally less per mile than turboprops or some light twins.

Still the quietest jet in the world, thanks to upgraded JT15D-1A engines, the Citation I is substantially below sound levels established by FAR (Part 36) requirements.

Cessna PR men, always among the front-runners in terms of glowing prose, have also come up with the hard fact that since its inception in 1972 the Citation has outsold all other bizjets and turboprop models. The Citation I promises to sus­ tain that enviable record, they add with deadpan figures. Flying the Citation I is basically no different than the original Citation’s handling characteristics. It is in the climb­ to-cruise and actual journey that the difference shows. A glance at performance charts endorses this statement: Two-engine take-off distance over 35 ft obstacle 2750 ft. Two-engine climb, 2680 fpm. Max. certified altitude, 41,000 ft.

Cruise at average weight, 351 kts. Max Mach, 0. 70. EPNL-db at take-off, 79. Range with six passengers plus 45 mins reserve, 1525 miles. Stall speed, max. weight, 83 kts. Landing distance at max. weight, 2300 ft.

This figure can be dramatically slashed by using optional thrust reversers, produced by Rohr Industries and being target types as fitted to JetStars, Gulfstreams, DC-9s and Boe­ ing 737s. A combination of brakes plus reversers can cut 15 per cent off the landing run on dry surfaces, 27 per cent on wet surfaces and 45 per cent on icy runways.

The engines: Pratt and Whitney-designed high bypass turbofans, the JT15D-1A engines are made by United Technologies, with a bypass ratio of 3. 3 to 1. TBO is listed a, 2400 hours with hot section inspections due every 1250 hours.

Avion_ics: standard l?ackage includes Sperry flight direc­ tor/autopilot, plus Collins VHF comm, VHF nav receivers, radio magnetic receivers, DME and transponder, plus Bendix weather radar and ARC ADF. Incidentally, Rex Aviation at Bankstown is officially listed as a Citation Service and Support Facility in Cessna’s worldwide network.

Specifications for the Citation I include this random selection: Max. ramp weight: 12,000 lbs. Max take-off weight: 11,850 lbs. Max. landing weight: 11,350 lbs. Max. fuel capacity: (564 galls usable) at 6. 7 lbs/gall, 3780. Pressurisation: 8. 5 psi giving 8000 ft cabin pressure at 41,000 ft. Wingspan: 47 ft 1 in. Main gear distance apart: 12 ft 7 in. Cabin length: (pressure vessel), 17 ft 6 in, height (max over aisle) 4 ft 4 in. , width 4 ft 11 in.

The Citation II made its first flight in January this year, a completely successful hop of 45 minutes during which 10,000 ft was reached plus a maximum 200 kts speed, gear was cycled, a near-stall tested and trim andflap responses check­ ed out.

Big difference between Citations I and II is the longer (4ft) cabin and five inches extra aisle height than the I, plus high-aspect ratio wing, 2500 lbs/thrust JT1SD-4 turbofan engines and an ability to reach 41,000 ft in 34 minutes and max. cruise at 420 mph.

Citation 11 carries up to 10 passengers plus a two-man crew, and customer deliveries were last reported to be scheduled for January next year.

Cessna president Mal Harned says the Citation II is a tremendously flexible aircraft. The P&W engines wedded to t_he high aspect-ratio wing can, for example, result in figures like 43,000 ft at 308 mph, for 2100 miles.

Despite increased size and performance, the low end of the scale is just as reachable for the II as it is for the I. Balanced field length of 2900 ft is claimed for the II as a result of in­ creasing the wingspan and engine thrust. Landing at a typical weight should need only 1850 ft over a SO ft obstacle, he adds. “One thing we want to make clear,” says Harned, “Is that the Citation 11is definitely not just a stretched Citation I with a 42 in plug in the fuselage.

“It inc?rporates a new wing w_ith a,:i aspect ratio of 8. 3, by far the highest of any current business Jet, and carries more than 150 gallons more than the Citation I. ”

Preliminary specifications of the Citation II include:

Specifications: Seat numbers (inc. crew): 8-12. Max ramp weight: 12,700 lbs. Max. tlo weight: 12,500 lbs. Max. landing weight: 12,500 lbs. Max. fuel: 4820 lbs. Pressurisation: (8000 ft cabin pressure at 43,000 ft), 8. 7 psi.

Performance: Single-engine t/o distance (balanced field) 2900 ft; two-engine t/o dist. , over 35 ft, 2400 ft. Two-engine rate of climb: 3500 fpm. Max. cert. altitude: 43,000 ft. Landing dist_: max. landing weight, 2290 ft. Max. cruise at average weight: knots/TAS, 365. Climb time to 41,000 ft, 34 mins. , max. mach, 0. 70. Range with 45 mins reserve: 2080 miles.